Expansible reamer



Oct. 14, 1930.

V.YORK

EXPANS IBLE REAMER Filed April 50, 1927 2 SheetsSheet l Patented Oct.14, 1930 PATENT QFFICE VICTOR YORK, OF WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA EXPANSIBLEREAMER Application filed April 30,

My invention relates to the art of drilling oil wells, and isparticularly applicable to the drilling of oil wells by what is known asthe rotary system.

In this system a rotary bit or cutter is secured to the bottom of astring of drill pipe being rotated by a rotary table situated at thesurface of the ground. Rotary mud is forced downward through the drillpipe and through openings in the bit to a point near the bottom of thehole, this mud being circulated by means of high-pressure pumpssituated'on thederrick floor. The mud so circulated serves to carryupward with it l the cuttings from the bit, and also serves to cementand mudsup the walls of the hole, so that. they will stand withoutthenecessity of easing, it being very common to drill holes in excess of2000 feet deep by the rotary method without the use of any casingwhatever, the rotary mud under pressure serving to hold up the walls ofthe well and make such drilling possible.

It is not the usual practice in drilling with the rotary method to carrypipe, that is to say, it is not the practice to suspend in the well astring of easing through which the drill pipe projects, this casingbeing used to hold up the wall of the well, as is the usual practicewhen drilling a well by the so-called standard or reciprocating system.In some cases,however, it is highly desirable to be able to carrycasing, this casing bein suspended in .the well during the drillingoperation and gradually lowered as the drilling progresses.

' It is necessary to frequently withdraw the drill pipe for the purposeof replacing or sharpening the bits, and one of the principal values ofcarrying casing is to prevent the well from caving during the time thedrill pipe and 'bit are being withdrawn. This necessitates the use of abit which will pass readily through the casing and which will,therefore, drill ahole either smaller or of approximately the samediameter as the inside of the carried casing. Casing cannot pass througha hole of asmaller diameter ,50 than its outside diameter, and thepractice 1927. Serial No. 187,746.

of carrying casing in rotary drilling has never been generally adopted.

It is an object of my invention, however, to provide an underreamerwhich may be collapsed in such a manner as to pass readily .55 throughthe casing but which automatically expands as it leaves the casing sothat it will drill a hole somewhat larger than the outside diameter ofthe casing.

It is a further object of my invention to provide such an underreamerwhich can be readily drawn upward into the casing for withdrawal fromthe well, said underreamer being collapsed for this purpose.

A still further objectof the invention is to provide an underreamer inwhich the reaming elements move bodily from retracted into extendedposition.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an underreamer in whichthe reaming elements are locked in retracted position and are releasedby fluid pressure.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be made evidenthereinafter.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view illustrating the utility of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the in vention partly sectioned, thereaming elements being shown in retracted position.

- Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an .elevational view similar to Fig. 2 but showingthe reamingelements in extended position.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line .66 of Fig. 5.

Figs. 7 and 8 are fragmentary sections showing the latch-means of theinvention.

The underreamer or reamer 11 of my invention is adapted to be secured tothe lower end of a drill column 12 directlyabove a cutter such as afish-tail 13. The drill column 12 extends upward through a casing 1 1 ofthe well and is supported at its upper end by means of a traveling block16 which connects to a swivel head 17 thereof. The drill column 12 isrotated by a rotary 18 carried V on the floor of a derrick. Rotary mudis delivered to the fish-tail 13 by means of a pressure pump which. isconnected to the swivel head 17 by means of a stand pipe 21 a and a hose22.

Referring to Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive, the underreamer 11 has a body 30.The body includes "a head 31 having a threaded pin 32, by means of whichit is connected to a tool joint 33 provided atthe lower end of the drillcolumn 12; a foot-piece '34 having a threaded pin 35 which screws into acoupling 36, by means of which the body 30 is attached to a rotarycutter such as the fishtail 13; and a plurality of arms 37 whichconnect'the head '31 and the foot-piece 34 together. 7 r

In the form of the invention shown, I provide three arms 37 which arearranged symmetrically around the axisv of the body 30 e which is alsothe axis of the drill'column12.

These arms are near together at the lower end and diverge outward untilthey are spread apart a maximum distance at their upper ends. Theadjacent edges of the arms 37 have grooves 38'which are arranged inplanes extending at right angles. to a radial line extending from theaxisof the body 30 and through the center of the spaces between thegrooves 38; The pairs of grooves 33 cooperate to provide ways. As willbe ob-' viousfrom the description the ways dive'rge upward from the axisof the body 30. .The

lower ends of the ways are closed, whereas the upper endsthereof areopened so that carriers 40'may beextended into them.

'The carriers'40 have tongues 41 which project into the grooves 38 whichoooperateto provide'the ways. The carriers are adapted 4 5 i v andalower face of the tool joint- 33.

to slide along the ways but are prevented from being removed from placeby means of a retainer 42. The retainer 42 is placed on the head 31andis retained thereon, since it is provided with an annular in-turned lip.43'whichis clamped between the head 31 The retainer42 has arms 45, eachof which extends so as to close the upper ends of the ways. I Eacharm 45has a face 46 which is adapted to lee engaged by an upper face 7 3 ofeach of the carriers 40 when each carrier -is'n1oved into its extremeupper position.

The carrlers 40 include shafts 47 which tendparallel to the ways inwhich they are carried andon'iwhichreaming elements 48 are supported,these ream ng elements 48 conslsting of cutters havlng serrations andbeing adapted to rotate. V The head 30 has a central vertical opening'50, and the foot-piece 34 has a vertical cen- 1 tral opening 51, theseopenings being aligned.

Extending through these openings and through the space 1 insidev thearms 37 'isa circulation tube or conduit 52. [The lower end of theconduit 52 is threadedly secured in the opening 51 and the upper endthereof has a seal formed aroundit by a packer 54.

The conduit 52 conducts rotary mud from the drill column 12 torthefish-tail 13.

Surrounding the conduit 52 and adapted to slide thereon is a collar 56.This collar 56 is provided with ears 57 to which links 58 are pivoted byshafts 59. The upper ends of the carriers 40 have the outer ends of thelinks 58 pivoted thereto by pivot-shafts 60. Surrounding the conduit 52below the collar 56 is a coil-spring 61, the lower end of which rests.in a cavity 62 of the foot-piece 34 and the upper end ofwhich engagesthe collar 56.

The purpose of the coil-spring 61 is to tend to urge the collar 56 fromthe position shown in Fig. 2 into theposition shown in Fig. 5,

in which position the faces 7 3 of the carriers 40 engage faces 46provided bytheretainer 42. In view of the face that the carriers moveoutward when they move upward-it "collar 56 is in the position shown in2 and 7. Pivoted on a shaft'66 which isinside the conduit and directlybelow the'opening 65 is a latch-member 67, The latch member 67 has anarm 68which extends upward and is provided with a book 69 at its upperend. l/Vhen the latch-member 67 is in latchpositiom'the hook 6 9 extendsthrough the opening 64 and into the notch 65, looking the collar 56 inthe positionshown in Figs.'2 and 7. Extending substantially atright'angles 'tothe arm-68 is a plate 70 which has'a small opening- -(1and whlch is slightly smaller in drameter'than the opening through theconduit 52. 7 When the latch-member 67 is in latching position, the"plate, '70 closes the opening of theconduit 52. -Tlie latch-member 67may be moved intounlatchedposition as indicated by dotted lines'72bystarting the pressure-pump 20. When the pressure.

pump is started, mud is forced downward through the drill column. andthrough the conduit 52. The. pressure against the plate 70 swingsthelatch-member 67 from latched 'positionflinto the position indicatedby dotted lines 7 2 and releases the collar;56. hen the collar 56 isreleased, the coil-spring 61 force'sit upward and the reaming elements48 are moved'into' reaming positions.

It will be noted that thereaming elements when in collapsed position areincluded with in" a circle which is of asma ller diameter than thecasing 14:, but when they are in extended position the outer edges toucha circle which is of a larger diameter than the outer diameter of thecasing 14. It will be seenthenthat the underreamer may be readilylowered through a casing, and after it has passed from the lower endthereof may be actuated so that the reaming elements are moved intoextended position, by merely starting the pressure-pump 20. In view ofthe fact that when the reaming elements are moved downward they arecollapsed, the underreamer may be pulled upward through the casing, thisbeing because the engagement of the reaming elements 48 with the casingmoves them downward so that they are retracted and may pass through thiscasing.

The important features of the invention may be briefly enumerated asfollows: The provision of reaming elements which are moved bodily fromretracted into extended position is important to the invention. Themeans for moving the reaming elements into extended position isimportant because of its reliability and simplicity of construction.

The locking means shown is satisfactory, but it should be understoodthat other locking means may be provided if desired.

The term under-reamer tends to comvey the impression that my inventionis solely for the purpose of underreaming for a well casing which isadvanced downward into a well as the drilling progresses. I wish toimpress, however, that my invention is equally useful as a reamer whichoperates continuously with a bit. As an example, in some wells a shortsurface casing which extends through the stovepipe casing, is employedfor preventing a caving-in of the softer strata near the surface. Inremoving or inserting the bit and reamer, they must pass through thissurface casing. My invention is very suitable for use under theseconditions, owing to the novel means for locking the cutter elements incontracted position while the bit passes through the casing.

I claim my invention 1. A reamer comprising a body adapted to be securedto a drill column, said body having a my, said way extendingnon-parallel to the axis of said column; a carrier adapted to travelalong said way; a reaming element caried by said carrier; and afluid-operated latch for holding said carrier in n rmal retractedposition.

2. A reamer comprising: a body adapted to be secured to a drill. column,said body having away, said way extending non-parallel to the axis ofsaid column; a carrier adapted to travel along said way; a reamingelement carried by said carrier; an operating member slidable relativeto said body; a thrust link connecting said carrier and said operatingmember; and urging means for urgmg said operating member to sliderelative to said body.

3. A combination as defined in claim 2 also having a releasable latchfor holding said operating member in such a position that said carrierand reaming element are retained in retracted position, said latch beingreleasable irrespective of the position of said drill column.

4. A reamer comprising: a body adapted to be secured to a drill column,said body having a way, said way extending non-parallel to the axis ofsaid column; a carrier adapted to travel along said way; a reamingelement carried by said carrier; an operating member slidable relativeto said body; connecting means for connecting said carrier and saidoperating member; urging means for urging said operating member to sliderelative to said. body; and a fluid-operated latch for re taininp saidoperating member in such a position that said carrier and reamingelements are retained in retracted position.

5. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said reaming elementrotates on an axis parallel to said way.

A reamer comprising: a body adapted to be secured to a drill column,said body hav ing a plurality of ways extending nonparallel. to the axisof said column; a carrier adapted to travel along each of said ways;reaming elements car 'ied by said carriers; a collar slidable relativeto said body; a spring for urging said collar upward; links connectingsaid collar and each of said carriers; and a releasable latch engagingsaid collar to hold said spring in compressed position.

7. A reamer comprising: a body adapted to be secured to a drill column,said body having a plurality of ways extending nonparallel to the axisof said column; a carrier adapted to travel along each of said ways;reaming elements carried ly said carriers; a fluid conduit in said body;a collar slidable on said conduit; a linkage connecting said collar andsaid carriers a resilient means for urging said reaming elements intoextended position; and a latch engaging said collar to hold saidresilient means in compressed position, said catch being fluid operatedto release said collar.

8. A combination asdefincd in claim 7 in which said latch comprises aplate pivotally secured inside said fluid conduit and including a hookextending through said conduit to engage said collar.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 20th day of April, 192?.

VICTOR YORK.

